DrDoctor featured on DigitalHealth.Net

Written by DrDoctor

Check out the article published on the digitalhealth.net website about our work across GSTT so far! Here’s a short snippet of the interview the writers at digitalhealth.net had with the trust’s Chief Technology officer, Gary McAllister:

DrDoctor cuts DNAs at Guy’s and St Thomas’

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust chief technology officer says that introducing a new digital booking system will save the trust the equivalent of £3.4 million a year.

The large London acute trust started playing with DrDoctor, a relatively young London-based booking and patient interaction software, in September last year in an effort to cut their poor rates of patient no-shows in their maternity service.

The trust’s chief technology officer Gary McAllister said that previously the trust had sent text alerts to patients, reminding them of their appointment, or relied on calling the patients.

“We sent them a text message saying you have an appointment in six months but there was no way for the patient to say whether they were going to turn up or not,” he said.

McAllister said within weeks of DrDoctor being rolled out in maternity service DNA rates had dropped by 40%.

In May, the trust started rolling out the software across the entire trust, with every patient expected to be on the system by September this year.

About a quarter of the trust services have already switched to DrDoctor and the trust estimates that once it is fully rolled out it will achieve £3.4 million in savings, from fuller booking schedules and fewer DNAs.